Heavy Warning Issued for Hawaii as 10 Inches of Snow, 60 mph Winds Emerge: 'Travel Could Be Very Difficult to Impossible'

Hawaii is not a place most people associate with blizzard conditions. This weekend, it is.

The National Weather Service office in Honolulu has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Big Island summits above 12,000 feet, in effect until 6 a.m. Monday. A Kona Low pressure system moving through the islands is producing heavy snow at the higher elevations of Hawaii Island, with total accumulations of up to 10 inches possible and wind gusts reaching 60 mph or higher, which is enough to create blizzard conditions at times.

"Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the National Weather Service warned. "Blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility at times, with periods of zero visibility. Any travel plans to the summits should be postponed until the threat diminishes."

What Is a Kona Low — and Why Does It Bring Snow to Hawaii?

Most people are surprised to learn that it snows in Hawaii at all, but the islands' volcanic peaks are among the highest points in the Pacific, with Mauna Kea on the Big Island reaching 13,803 feet. At that elevation, winter storms regularly bring snow.

A Kona Low gets its name from the wind shift it creates over the islands. Hawaii is normally dominated by trade winds blowing in from the northeast. When a low pressure system moves over the islands, it reverses that flow — drawing abundant moisture up from the warm tropical waters below and wringing it out against the steep mountain terrain. At lower elevations, that means catastrophic flooding rains. At the summits, it means snow.

This is the second consecutive Kona Low to impact the Hawaiian Islands, following a system that also brought heavy snow and widespread flooding earlier this month.

As the current system exits the area, high pressure is expected to build Monday, allowing trade winds to return and giving the islands a chance to recover through the remainder of the week.